This Interview Will Convince You to Foster

By

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June 7, 2018

Ryan and Kayla North have been married 15 years and are adoptive and foster parents living in Dallas, Texas, with their six children—four adopted and two biological. Ryan is a speaker and teacher who also heads up the podcast, One Big Happy Home. When Ryan isn’t doing ministry, he’s teaching two of his daughters guitar and doing some jamming of his own. This is his story.

Q: Who are you?

A: I am an adoptive parent of six kids and have been married to my wife, Kayla, for 15 years. We’ve done a lot of ministry in our marriage together, and we’ve been in the adoptive ministry for long time now. I’m a teacher, speaker and supporter of foster families and adoptive families. We have a podcast. But those are all things I do.

Let’s see…who am I? When I was younger I wanted to be in a band as a guitar player. Recently someone encouraged me to get back into it, so I just bought myself a new amplifier. It arrived from Amazon today actually and earlier I commandeered the dining room table to set it up. Two of my daughters want to learn so this summer I am going to spend time this summer teaching them. Music is a great outlet and I enjoy the time together with them.

Q: Your wife, Kayla, signed you both up for a meeting with a foster care agency. Tell us about the process from then on until your first placement.

A: I thought I could hold her off a couple of years. She’s always loved small children and paid for college by working as a nanny for a wealthy family. They have an adopted child from China, and I think that furthered her cause for getting involved in adoption and foster care. When we went to South Africa and came back, Kayla immediately got the ball rolling.

We’ve had 30 placements over the decade we fostered. We began fostering to adopt but after fostering a child and going through seven court hearings to adopt the child, he went to live with his great aunt. It was a few days before Christmas, and we took a break. Then, the Lord invited us to go from fostering to adopt to fostering in a traditional sense—the sense where children come in and out of our home after re-uniting with their families.

Q: What is it like being a foster parent?

A: We have a 23-year-old adult child and a five-year-old child and children of all ages in between. It’s pretty challenging but we have great relationships with all our children. There’s a strong support system around us which enables us to deal with the ups and downs of parenting in general. We have to remember that even though the kids are in foster care because someone hurt them, not everybody hurt them.

We are their hope for a safe place while many are in process of reunification or other permanent, safe and loving homes.

Q: How does trauma manifest itself in children in foster care?

A: In our experience, the first night is always difficult. They’re in a new place, and so it’s tough. Many who come to us are evasive that first night. They have a blank stare on their faces. They won’t sleep. They’ll end up wandering around the house touching things and exploring. Some get into stuff they shouldn’t. Many try to leave. As foster parents, you don’t sleep much that first night.

We had a brother and sister for about a month. The boy was three or four years old. He wouldn’t take his shoes off. Our house is pretty “Californian” in that we have a shoe basket right inside the front door. But this little boy would sleep in his shoes. He spoke only Spanish so when our babysitter, who spoke Spanish, started talking to him, she learned the little boy was looking for his grandfather and that he didn’t want to take his shoes off because he wanted to be ready to go.

Q: What can parents do for children in foster care manifesting trauma?

A: The best way to handle trauma in foster care children is for parents to get real, formidable training. Fostering is hard and it is long. If we recognize that truth, then we will understand the serious need to equip ourselves. When the newness is over, foster parents need to realize what all has come into their homes with the child in foster care.

It’s important, too, to make the child feel at home. But, as they start to feel comfortable, they may also push boundaries to see if you will still hang in there with them. No matter what issues you’re addressing, always assume behavior is an expression of need. Parents must understand that and ask themselves, “How can I meet that need?”

We may not have been adults who have the hurt the children, but we are adults. In some ways, we must take responsibility for another person’s actions in order to help the children move past the pain and onto healing.

When Jesus talks about loving our neighbors the way we love ourselves, I think foster care is a great example of making that commandment real. Fostering is a selfless love because those who foster love their neighbors’ children as much as they love themselves or their biological children.

This article originally appeared here.

Guidelines for Conversations About Race in the Church

By

David Appelt

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June 7, 2018

Since the MLK50 conference, T4G, and the flurry of tweets, blog posts and rants exploded onto the Internet, I’ve noticed a distinct fervor in the conversation surrounding race and the church (especially in reformed spheres). We seem to need some guidelines to make these conversations fruitful rather than frustrating. We’re failing to demonstrate fundamental unity, clarity or brotherly love. It’s coming from the “famous” pastors and the “every day” pastors, from those of us with many Twitter followers, and those of us with 50. If we want to see true progress in the area of race and the church, then we need to work harder at how we discuss it.

We are not on “sides” in the race discussion

We are not on different sides when we are talking about race in the church. We may have different perspectives on specific topics, but we must do the hard work of maintaining that we are one body. If someone is a believer, we are compelled to treat them as part of the body. The world argues with one another as opposing factions and tribes; we must be different.

The gospel tears down all worldly barriers; we are united fully in Christ. That doesn’t mean all of our perspectives have to be uniform! We might have different perspectives on everything from worship style to social issues, but we are still one in Christ. Thus, we address each other from a place of love—not a place of resentment. We must demonstrate this fundamental love for each other, especially when we disagree. Before we are white, black, American, European, Asian, etc., we are in Christ.

This failure isn’t coming from one “side” of the debate, but both. From believers of all skin tones (including my own) I see unfair pieces that try to impune others’ motives unfairly, or simple strawman arguments. There are many examples of this. Instead of trying to hear the issues raised by others by virtue of them being raised by professing believers, people try to shut others down.

We don’t get to say, “Either you agree with everything or you are not my brother.”

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…”
Ephesians 2:18-19 ESV (emphasis added)

“[Be] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:3 ESV

Whether you are white or black, you are a Christian, and it is your duty to “endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.”

We put comfort over listening

We need to have the patience to listen to others, especially godly Christians with different experiences than our own. If we are one body, then we should seek to understand others before we seek to convince them of our perspective. This doesn’t mean that we simply listen when someone is tarnishing the truth. When the truth is at stake, let us humbly, patiently, persistently call it out.

We put being heard over being understood

We must care more about speaking clearly and graciously than about winning an argument. We ought to talk about race the way the Bible does (for starters, that we are all one “human race,” with many different ethnicities). Scripture is clear that we are responsible for how we speak—not just in content, but in tone. Speak graciously to one another so that others have a chance to listen and understand without feeling attacked. This principle from scripture applies whether we are white or black.

“I could be wrong…”

“I could be wrong…” is an under-used phrase. These issues are not black-and-white, one-size-fits-all. Whether you are black or white, you can still be wrong, no matter your personal experience. No matter the color of our skin, you and I both must reject the thought that we have nothing left to learn from other godly people. There is no skin color that has an immunity to being wrong. We need to get over ourselves, our politics and our skin color, if it leads to idolatry of our own perspective.

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”
James 1:19 ESV

Let’s put unity, humility and patience first. In doing so, we will demonstrate the authenticity of the gospel to the world around us. As others see people disagreeing and struggling together in love, the salvation that Christ purchased for us will be made known in a deeply meaningful way.

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35 ESV

This article originally appeared here.

10 Reasons to Do Announcements via Video

By

Chuck Lawless

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June 7, 2018

I’ve previously written about ways to improve announcements in your church, and I briefly mentioned there why I like video-recorded announcements. Here are my other reasons for taking this approach:

You can cover a lot of announcements in a concise way. Recording allows you to monitor time, focus the material, and deal with several topics in a short amount of time.
It limits the time used for announcements. Most of us have endured announcements that went on WAY too long. Recording and editing can fix that issue.
It provides an opportunity to use several church members. You’ll need members to coordinate the announcements, do them on camera, man the camera, and edit the video. For some of these folks, this opportunity may be the first time they’ve used their gifts for the work of the church.
It gives opportunities for creativity. For some churches, creativity and humor fit better in a recorded announcement than they would in a live announcement in the worship center.
It allows time to correct errors, etc., before releasing the announcements. Re-recording and editing are great gifts for fallible people . . . .
It captures the attention of young generations. We may not like it, but these generations have been raised on video. They’ll likely listen more to these announcements than to live announcements.
It provides a resource for emails or website announcements. Those who miss the worship service can still hear the announcements via email attachments or website content.
You don’t have to tackle this approach alone. Do a Google search or talk to friends, and you’ll find many available resources to do video announcements well (and, you MUST do these well if you want them to be effective).
It might be an open door to using audiovisual for other purposes in the service. For those churches who may still not be using audiovisual approaches, doing announcements this way might be a first acceptable step.
It requires you to plan ahead of time. Recording announcements requires coordination and planning — and many churches need to learn to do both.

If your church uses video announcements, give us your reflections.

The original article appeared here.

5 Reasons Your Church Should Do More Facebook Live Videos (And 16 Tips for Doing Them Well)

By

Rich Birch

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June 7, 2018

Is your church doing regular Facebook Live broadcasts? Why or why not? The popularity of this tool continues to grow and flourish, and it is a powerful communication method that your church should be taking advantage of. While the service has been around for almost three years, which is comparative to something like 30 “social media years”, there are still a lot of churches that aren’t utilizing this tool to reach people.

That being the case, the goal of this article is to convince you to start doing or do more Facebook Live videos. You’ve been warned. 😉

Facebook is still the default social media network for many people in our communities. In fact, in most communities, 68 percent of adults are accessing the platform regularly. [ref] Stop and think about that. If two-thirds of the people in your town participated in the same thing on a regular basis, wouldn’t you want to know more about it? Even further, wouldn’t you want to figure out how to best use that trend to see people connected to your church and the message of Jesus? Within Facebook, live videos continue to be a thriving and growing feature of the platform. In fact, 2 billion people have watched Facebook Live broadcasts. [ref] And the number keeps growing every day!

4 Ingredients of Great Facebook Live Videos for Your Church

Here are the four basic elements that your Facebook Live video broadcasts need to have to help you leverage this channel to reach people.

A “Hook” // You need to start with an interesting premise or quick hit idea at the beginning of the video that draws people in to watch more. Like the title of a great news article, a good hook’s job is to grab and hold people’s attention.
Educate or Entertain? // Your video needs to either entertain people by making them laugh or it needs to educate them by revealing something. If you use Facebook Live to just “advertise” what’s coming up at your church your audience will tune out. How can you provide value to them? Use one of these approaches to do so.
Show, Don’t Tell // This is a visual medium so leverage it. Broadcast from a visually interesting location. Show a prop on camera that will get people’s attention. Avoid the temptation to just be a “talking head” on the video.
Call to Action // What are you asking people to “do” because of the video? What is their next step after watching the video? Don’t let people just sit back and passively consume the content but entice them to take a next step!

Facebook is Still Pushing Live Video

It’s no secret that Facebook continues to encourage people to produce, view, and engage with live videos. In a very real way, it seems like Facebook is transforming itself into a video-driven platform. We have all noticed that our “organic” posts on Facebook being viewed less and less. However, the platform continues to push the video content form in front of our audiences. Some churches have reported as much as 200 times more views on a Facebook Live video over a typical status update post.

“Live is like having a TV camera in your pocket. Anyone with a phone now has the power to broadcast to anyone in the world,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said. “This is a big shift in how we communicate, and it’s going to create new opportunities for people to come together.” [ref]

People Love Behind-the-Scenes Videos

Eighty-seven percent of audiences would prefer to watch online videos if it included more behind-the-scenes content than a standard TV broadcast. [ref] One of the major “stickiness factors” of live videos is that we get access to things that we don’t normally get to see. Take your audience backstage at your church and allow them to experience something that is usually only experienced by a small group of leaders or community members.

3 Examples of Behind-the-Scenes Videos

Mid-week Message Prep // Do you prepare your messages in a unique location? Take us there with a quick two-minute video to show people what that space looks like and discuss the upcoming week. Use this opportunity to ask a question or two about an upcoming message to draw people in and help you write that message!
Early Morning “Backstage” // More and more, we’re beginning to see it be a “standard practice” of churches to do a quick early morning video inviting people to come to church. Resist the urge to do these videos from the lobby, and take us backstage to see the behind-the-scenes activities of the morning prep. Is there a cleaning crew vacuuming the hallways? Is the guest services team planning something extra special this morning? What does it look like from the “tech booth” while the worship team rehearses? Find an interesting visual hook that people don’t normally see and show it to them!
Team Training // Training volunteers and leaders is a critical part of any growing church. Why not shoot a quick live video from your next training event? You could invite a person who just experienced the event onto camera and they could share what they learned! Sometimes at training events, we do an “appreciation” segment where we go out of our way to thank a particular volunteer. What better way to turn up the appreciation by broadcasting it live as well!

Live Positions Your Church with the “Big Leagues”

Increasingly, huge brands and entertainment organizations are leveraging the exact same tools to broadcast to their audiences. For example, Facebook has secured exclusive rights to 25 MLB games this season [ref]. When your church chooses to leverage this channel, it puts your ministry on par with other brands.

While it’s a great thing to have your live broadcasts compete alongside some of the largest content providers in the world, it does require us to continually increase the quality of our content. We need to develop best practices for the type of content we’re providing as well as improve the technical quality of our broadcasts. Your church will need to pay particular attention to ensure that you are evaluating how the content is being received and what is working “best” to increase engagement with your community.

3 Tools to Increase the Quality of Your Church’s Live Videos

Rode Lav Mic // This mic provides great quality audio for a single presenter on a live video from your phone. It not only provides clear audio but requires little technical set up! Just plug the mic into the headphone jack of your phone and then clip it to the presenter’s shirt.
Mevo Camera // This is a clever, super high definition camera with a novel smartphone interface. It allows the users to present what looks like a “multi-camera” shot all with a single lens through some fancy programming. This product is great for when you want to shoot something six to ten feet from the camera.
Selfie Light Ring // Sometimes when you’re backstage at the church there just isn’t enough lighting to allow your audience to clearly see the presenter. This little device attaches directly to your phone and helps light up a subject when in selfie mode.

Engagement is 10X Higher on Live vs. Pre-Recorded Video

Have you ever stepped back and asked why your church does anything on social media? What’s the goal of all this effort you put into these channels? It’s all about engagement! We are attempting to connect with people in churches and the surrounding community in a way that draws them into dialogue and connection. Live videos are the highest form of engagement in social media today. In fact, viewers comment “more than 10 times more on Facebook Live videos than regular ones.” [ref] The reason social media networks are pushing this content is because [that] they know it’s engaging, which is what we want!

3 Easy Ways to Drive Up Engagement

Lead with a Question // In the first ten seconds of your video lead with a question that you want your audience to answer. What’s your favorite worship song that we’ve been singing at our church these days? If we could talk about one thing in our messages, what would you want that to be? What would you love to see us change in our kids’ ministry? A sticky question drives people to stay connected with the video and gives them the opportunity to interact and contribute.
Ask for the Share // Again, early on in the video, the best practice is to ask people to share the video so the content can reach more people. Don’t beat around the bush but directly ask people to share the video so their friends can see it too. Point to where the “share” button is and ask them!
Give a Gift // At the end of the video, tell people to do something in order to receive a free gift from the host. For example, the first ten people to comment with a fact or point from the live broadcast could receive a gift certificate to a local coffee shop.

Online Live Video is Leading to Offline Engagement

Social media isn’t the destination but a stop along the road! Ultimately, we’re using these tools to encourage people to connect at our “offline” locations. There are industries that demonstrate that live video is an effective tool for driving “real world” engagement, not just “likes, comments, and shares”. For instance, 67 percent of audiences who watched a livestream purchased a ticket to a similar offline event the next time it occurred. [ref] Real estate mogul and social media guru Grant Cardone used a swarm of live videos to drive over 9,000 people to his conference in 2018. [ref] It would seem like live video is a shortcut for building an online community that “knows, likes, and trusts” a communicator or organization. That social capital can then be translated into real-world responses.

3 Ways to Bridge Offline Engagement

Show Your Campuses // Use your live streams to walk people through the Sunday morning experience. Park in your parking lot and then walk through various entrances to help people picture themselves arriving.
Introduce Pastoral Staff // Oftentimes, it seems like churches are using secondary team members “on screen” during live videos. However, brands that are moving people to offline engagement have the primary communicator and “face of the brand” at the center of their live videos.
Call to Action // Don’t be afraid to ask people for an “offline” action! Ask your audience to join the church at an upcoming special event. Ask them if they are willing to get in their cars and join the church at the next service. A well-timed call to action can motivate more people to connect with your church!

The original article appeared here.

Could Beth Moore Heal the SBC as President?

By

Bob Ditmer

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June 7, 2018

When Southern Baptists get together for their annual meeting June 12 in Dallas, J.D. Greear and Ken Hemphill are on the ballot to become the denomination’s next president. But now a third name is being floated—Beth Moore.

Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, suggested on Saturday that electing a woman to the presidency would send a well-needed message to Southern Baptist women.

“To elect Beth Moore would do more to heal our Convention, seal women within our convention who have lost hope and right historic patterns of wrong toward women, without compromising qualifications, integrity, competency or Scripture. The questions are, ‘Are we there yet?’ or do we have to wait 100 more years and experience more of God’s judgment? SEBTS recently elected a woman as chairman of their Trustee Board. Progress is being made. Serving as an ex-officio officer of SBC entity trustee boards is one of the duties of an SBC president. By already permitting women trustees and a woman chairperson, the precedence is already set,” McKissic wrote in a recent blog post.

McKissic has already publicly endorsed J.D. Greear for the presidency this year but said he would reconsider “if I thought Beth Moore would accept the nomination or be agreeable to being nominated, because of her qualifications and the current context the SBC finds herself in…I would nominate her for SBC president.”

Since the SBC was constituted in 1845, SBC presidents have all been men but not all have been pastors. Past presidents have also been denominational workers, laymen, educational institution heads and political leaders. Although the president’s official duties have not changed much since 1845, each presidential term has been shaped by current events and the president’s personality and vision.

Moore is not a pastor but the founder of Living Proof Ministries, an author and speaker—and a woman. A fact that some in the SBC might consider disqualifying. McKissic does not.

“The SBC is a parachurch organization—not a church. Therefore, there is absolutely not one Bible verse, or SBC constitutional bylaws prohibitions, nor any BF&M [Baptist Faith and Message] 2000 prohibitions, against a woman serving as SBC president. Tradition, sexism, fear and other non-biblical factors would probably prevent any woman, including Deborah, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Lydia, Junia or Priscilla or Lottie Moon from being elected president of the SBC; but, I repeat…there is not one Bible verse or SBC constitutional prohibition,” he explained.

Many in the SBC hold to completarianism, a view that men and women have different but complementary roles and responsibilities in marriage, family life, religious leadership and elsewhere.

McKissic holds to that view but doesn’t believe it applies in the case of a female president of the SBC.

“Complementarianism teaches that there are roles, distinct roles that God gives to men and women in the home and in the church and that is biblical, and we need to honor that and we need to be faithful to that. But at the same time recognize that God has gifted women with spiritual gifts and [leadership] in positions of honor and we need to be as committed to raising them up in leadership and ministry as we are to our sons,” he said.

“Our failure to listen to and honor women and racial minorities and our failure to include them in proportionate measures at top leadership roles have hindered our ability to see sin and injustice and call it out.

“We have been neglectful and lax and have guarded our institutions and our positions of leadership at our detriment and I think God is showing us that we need to repent for that posture and include our brothers and sisters of color and women in leadership and that culture needs to change,” he added.

What You Need to Know About the Rally for Women at the SBC

By

Megan Briggs

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June 7, 2018

In less than a week, the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting will take place in Dallas, Texas. In the midst of the worship, the well-known speakers, and the election of a new president to lead the convention, another group is taking the opportunity to make their voices heard. Their message? It’s time for the SBC to confront its faulty ideas about women, abuse and sexual assault.

Speaking on behalf of the rally, Ashley Easter says “we don’t just want words—we want action” on the part of the leadership of the SBC.

Specifically, the For Such a Time as This Rally will speak about three action items it is imploring the convention to consider taking. From the press release:

The time has come for women to be respected and honored within the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention—as Scripture teaches.
The time has come for a clergy sex offender database for the Southern Baptist Convention.
The time has come for mandatory training of all pastors and SBC seminaries on the issues of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

Easter says there are symptoms that need to be addressed stemming from the diminishment and disrespect of women within the SBC. The organizers of the rally want to see current pastors (and those in training) and clergy receive training on how to treat women with respect, how to handle allegations of abuse, and how to minister to victims of abuse. Additionally, one of the goals of the rally is to point pastors and clergy to resources to help them address this topic in their own churches.

Is This About Paige Patterson?

The rally is the inspiration of Cheryl Summers, who believes God led her to call for change and justice for women after the recent events involving Paige Patterson came to the public’s eye. Summers is a survivor of an abusive marriage. She and her former husband attended an SBC church while the abuse was occurring.

As Easter explains, though, the problems being voiced about Patterson right now are not new. Easter says sites such as the Wartburg Watch and SNAP (Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests) have been speaking about Patterson’s questionable behavior for a long time now. While the situation with Patterson certainly brought the topic of the abuse and mistreatment of women to the fore of the SBC’s consciousness, the rally isn’t solely about Patterson. It’s about addressing an issue so large and yet so subtle that the organizers call it “tragically systemic” within the SBC.

Easter says a good place to observe this systemic mistreatment of women is in the seminaries, where she says female students “are not treated with the same respect as male students.”

Is This About #meToo, #churchToo or #silenceisnotspiritual?

Given the nature of the broader culture reacting to the groundswell of #metoo action, one might be tempted to chalk the inspiration for this rally up to another trending hashtag. While Easter is thankful for #metoo, #churchtoo and #silenceisnotspiritual, she says the work to end abuse has been going on for years. What these movements did is simply “brought to light the work already being done.”

The timing of the rally and the #metoo movement is not coincidental, as it does seem people are more willing to acknowledge that fact that we (culture in general and the church in particular) have some problems we need to address when it comes to the treatment of women.

Why Does the SBC Struggle With the Mistreatment of Women?

Some believe complementarianism contributes to the mistreatment of women, although Easter says this is not the rallying cry of the rally. The organizers are hoping to mobilize those—whether complementarians or egalitarians—who want to do something to stop the abuse against women that occurs within the church’s walls and under the watchful eye of leadership who should be trained to address such abuses.

Eugene Cho: ‘My Assignment Here at Quest Is Complete’

By

Bob Ditmer

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June 7, 2018

Pastor Eugene Cho is stepping down as lead pastor of Quest Church in Seattle, Washington, citing a need for new leadership at the church, concern that he isn’t completely fulfilling all of his obligations, and some minor health issues.

Cho has led Quest Church since 2000. His resignation will be effective September 30.

In a letter to the church, Cho insists he isn’t burned out: “I am as passionate and committed as ever to the person and mission of Jesus; to the whole Gospel.” But he also feels that “my assignment here at Quest is complete and believe it’s now time for new leadership with fresh vision, passion and energy to take Quest deeper and further in its mission.”

He also feels convicted that his roles at Quest and his ministry, One Day’s Wages, have forced other pastors on the Quest staff to take on his responsibilities, “which simply isn’t fair to them, our staff and to the church,” he writes.

He told his congregation that there is “no grave urgency” to his health but his ulcer has returned causing him “to embrace a season of slowing down to prepare for the marathon of leadership and discipleship.”

Cho says he will continue in a part-time role at One Day’s Wages and will not be taking another church staff position in Seattle but is open to God’s leading in the future.

“For the foreseeable future, we hope to maintain our presence in Seattle. Minhee (Cho’s wife) will continue her practice as a therapist, and I will continue my part-time role at One Day’s Wages. In this next season of my life, I am grateful to be able to be more intentional about investing and encouraging churches, nonprofits, pastors, leaders and missionaries throughout the world. Also, to finally write that second book and keep working on my handles and jump shot.”

Cho also wrote that he and his wife will not be attending the church after September 30 “out of respect for the new pastor,” but his children intend to continue viewing Quest as their home church.

Skeleton of Man Crucified Like Jesus Found

By

Bob Ditmer

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June 7, 2018

A rare find in Northern Italy– what researchers believe is the remains of a 30-something-year-old man whose death was similar to Jesus’ crucifixion 2000 years ago.

The only other time that the remains of a crucifixion victim have been found was in 1968, during an excavation of Roman-era tombs in Jerusalem. In those excavations, Greek archaeologist Vassilios Tzaferis found that a 7-inch-long nail had been driven through the heel bone of a man found in one of the tombs.

The same is true for this man, whose body was found by workers laying a pipeline in 2007, but it’s taken until now for a detailed study of the remains to be published.

The researchers found a coin-sized hole in one of the skeleton’s feet, which appears to have been caused by a nail. His wrists may also have been nailed, but the degraded condition of the remains made that unclear. Many crucifixion victims were tied up by the wrists, rather than nailed.

Just like Jesus’ crucifixion, archaeologists say the form of capital punishment was designed to be one of the worst ways to die ever devised by man. Victims would be laid out on the ground and lashed to a wooden cross with their arms stretched out and legs crossed over one another, bent at 45 degrees.

Seven inch nails would then be driven through wrists and feet before the cross was raised upright.

The victims would then be left to hang by their arms until they died.

Victims would usually try to support their weight on their legs but once they gave out the weight would be switched to the arms.

Slowly the shoulders would be dragged from their sockets with the elbows and wrists dislocating a few minutes later.

At this point, the arms would be six or seven inches longer than they had been at the start.

The victim would then have no choice but to carry his weight on his chest which would immediately hamper his breathing.

The weight would cause the rib cage to lift up and force him into an almost permanent state of inhalation.

He would then most likely either die of suffocation or from his heart giving out.

Sometimes the anguish could last for several days.

Despite tens of thousands losing their lives this way in ancient Rome, it’s only the second victim of the barbaric practice that’s been found.

7 Ways to Tell if Your Church Is Friendly

By

Chuck Lawless

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June 7, 2018

Pam and I visit a lot of churches. Many are friendly, but some are not. I’ll never forget, for example, the person who said to Pam after a service where I had preached, “Well, if I’d known you were the preacher’s wife, I’d have said something to you.” In essence, she was saying, “If I knew you were important, I’d have gone out of my way to greet you.”

On the other hand, I don’t know a church that thinks they’re unfriendly. If you want to find out if your church really is friendly, try these strategies:

7 Ways to Tell if Your Church Is Friendly

Enlist an unchurched secret shopper. Find an unchurched person, and ask him or her to visit your church and give you a report. If the secret shopper knows little about church in general, it will be interesting to see how your church responds to somebody who will probably appear a bit confused and out of place.

Enlist a believer as a secret shopper. Take this step to compare what happens when someone who knows how churches usually operate (and thus likely won’t be as awkward as the unchurched shopper) visits your church.

Check with all guests who attended your church in the previous three months. Even if they didn’t return—or perhaps because they didn’t return—ask them if they remember your church as being friendly. If they remember your church as being unfriendly, you need to know that; even if they don’t remember anything about your congregation, that tells you something, too.

Ask guest speakers and their spouses who visited your church in the last year. Give them complete freedom to speak truth to you, and see what they say.

Ask your newest church members if they found your church to be friendly when they first attended. You might find that some folks joined your church for some reason other than your friendliness. It happens—people tolerate a lack of friendliness because they love the music, the preaching, the location, etc.

Ask your staff’s spouses. Again, invite their complete honesty. I know church staff members whose spouses have never felt connected to their local body, and they’re all quite lonely.

Talk to someone who has been attending church for some time, but who has not yet made any official commitment to get involved. Sometimes these folks come because they love the worship, but no relational connection has led them to get more involved. They may see the church as “not unfriendly, but not really friendly, either.”

Of course, you might ask all these questions and learn that your church really is friendly! The bottom line is this: You won’t know how friendly your church really is until you ask folks.

This article originally appeared here.

Who Would Win the Yoscars? (The Oscars for Youth Pastors)

By

Greg Stier

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June 6, 2018

The 90th Annual Oscars took place last night. Now everyone is talking about the winners, Best Picture (The Shape of Water? Seriously? I fell asleep during the trailer), Best Actor, Best Actress, who wore what, moral statements, opening monologues and the like.

It got me to thinking, who would win if youth ministry held it’s own version of The Oscars. We could call it “The Yoscars” (short for Youth Ministry Oscars.) And, because it was my idea, I could pick my own winners. So, if The Yoscars were an actual thing, here would be my picks:

For Best Comedic Actors…The Skit Guys. These dudes are the best, the absolute funniest and seriously good guys.

For Best Overall Youth Leader…Mr. Bill (if you’ve ever met him, you’d agree.) He’s a youth leader at Grace Chapel in Castle Rock, Colorado. He is equal parts evangelism and discipleship. He loves teenagers, loves parents, loves the church and loves Jesus! He is living the values of a Gospel Advancing, disciple multiplying ministry like nobody’s business. If I were to become a pastor again I’d ask Mr. Bill to be my youth leader.

For Best Youth Ministry Denominational Leadership…And the winner is…Assemblies of God! The Assemblies of God leadership is super serious about reaching every teen everywhere with the Gospel and are putting their programs where their priorities are! I’m also super pumped about where The Evangelical Covenant Churches and Evangelical Free Churches of America are headed. Who knows? They may get the crown next year!

For Most Willing to Strategically Refocus and Double Down on Evangelism Parachurch Organization…Word of Life! When we first met Kris Stout of Word of Life and shared with him the seven values of a Gospel Advancing Ministry we couldn’t believe how quickly he and his entire team were willing to refocus their efforts nationally and double down on reaching every teen everywhere with the Gospel.

For Best Discipleship Strategy…Sonlife! At Dare 2 Share we had our own discipleship multiplcation strategy for years, then I read 4 Chair Discipling by Dann Spader. We dumped our strategy and promoted his! It’s that good! Dann Spader has taken the disciple multiplication strategy of Jesus and attached it to a simple analogy (moving people through four chairs). It’s biblical, practical and hard to beat.

For Best Spoken Word Artist…Propaganda. I’ve seen the best, worked with the best and he is the absolute best. Nobody can turn a phrase or hold an audience like Prop.

For Best “Helping teenagers navigate media” Expert…Jonathan McKee. His stuff on teens and smart phones is off the charts great!

For Best “Helping youth leaders navigate culture” Expert…Walt Mueller. Simply great. Always insightful.

For Best Youth Speaker…Zane Black. You may accuse me of bias because I’ve traveled with Zane for almost a decade and a half through our Dare 2 Share conferences. But I’ve also spoken at countless other conferences, events and festivals across the United States and have heard tons of other really good youth speakers. Having said all of that, I’d put Zane at the top of the heap.

For Strongest Youth Speaker…Heather Flies. She is a strong speaker in every sense of the word. She can hold an audience of teenagers and youth leaders captive with her words. She can also crush you like an ant if she wants to. Whenever I see Heather I tense up, say “hello Heather” and think “get it over with” as she walks over and hugs me while lifting me physically off the ground and squeezing the life blood out of me. It’s like a rite of passage for youth leaders. Painful but necessary! She is the best!

For Best Pastoral Speaker to Youth Leaders…Derwin Gray. I know Derwin does a lot of speaking at a lot of venues, but whenever I’ve heard him preach at Youth Specialties or Simply Youth Ministry he stands out as a spectacularly gifted speaker, insightful theologial and practical tactician.

For Best “Wicked Smart” Youth Ministry Expert…Kara Powell. This was a close one. With super wicked smart people like Chap Clark and Duffy Robbins in the mix, this was a hard one to call. But I am always blown away by Kara. She brings not only a great intellect when it comes to unpacking the facts and stats of youth ministry, but a great pathway to helping youth leaders turn those facts into a stronger, more effective youth ministry program.

For Best Overall Leadership of Youth Ministry…Doug Fields. Whether it be through his speaking, writing or online impact (like Download Youth Ministry) Doug provides leadership for youth leaders that is biblical, bold and balanced. He is a voice of truth and transformation, equal parts lion and lamb. And he does Crossfit…so that makes me want to vote for him out of sheer fear and intimidation.

So these would be my choices for this year’s Yoscars…if it were an actual thing. What categories did I miss and who would be your choices to win the Yoscars?

This article originally appeared here.

The Great 30-Day Marriage Experiment

By

Gary Thomas

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June 6, 2018

Are Jesus’ words worth trying out?

Seriously: Do you think he has sufficiently proven himself to you to the point where you owe it to him to believe he knows what he’s talking about?

If so, let me suggest a 30-day marriage experiment rooted in Jesus’ new commandment, given in John 15:12:

“This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.”

N.T. Wright describes this love as the “self-giving of an entire life, minute by minute, day by day, year by year… What Jesus is describing goes deeper than any self-seeking, deeper than any self-serving. It simply wants the utmost possible for the beloved, up to and including the point of giving its own life.”

Have any of us ever truly tried to love our spouse like this, upping the level of our focus so that we desire to love our spouse minute by minute, day by day, with the goal of doing the “utmost possible” for the one we love? Or do we simply write off Jesus’ words as an impossible ideal that shouldn’t be allowed to trouble our minds or prick our consciences?

If unleashed, this minute by minute, day by day seeking the best for our spouse would lift our focus from our disappointments and frustrations and re-center them on something we can actually do—lay down our life for our spouses.

Why just 30 days? It might sound too exhausting to say you’re going to focus this intensely for the rest of your life, but what if we said we’d like to try this for the next 30 days and see how it goes?

This “minute by minute loving” would address so many areas of life in general. For example, in order for a husband to be able to focus on his wife like this, he’d have to get control of any bad habits that are draining his energy and diverting his focus from his family. His temper doesn’t serve his family, so that has to go, too. And he’d have to stay aware of what’s going on at home, so for the time being, even some cherished hobbies may need to be put on hold. By focusing on what’s so right, he’ll lose so much of what’s wrong. I daresay, he’d become an entirely different kind of man.

Women who embrace this call to love their husband minute by minute and day by day, focusing on their husband’s welfare, wouldn’t have time to gossip about others. They will be too busy looking for and implementing creative ways to encourage. Rather than be distracted by office politics or so-called “binge-worthy” shows on Netflix, they will be moved to re-engage their minds to think about how to please their husbands when they get home. This can free them from so much life drama that seems to demand our attention but ends up mentally and emotionally draining us.

Before someone complains that their spouse isn’t fulfilling his/her role as a husband or wife, can they look at this list and ask, “Am I minute by minute and day by day making sure I don’t get side-tracked by social squabbles, don’t get addicted by personal pleasure, so that I can devote my time and energy to excel at loving my spouse?”

This love is urged on us by no one less than Jesus, yet how few of us actually ever pursue it?

When couples ask me for help with their marriages, they rarely are pursuing such a love. I don’t hear, “How do I help her heal from the wounds of her past?” “How can I understand him better?” “How can I bless her?” “How can I support him more?” Instead I hear, “Can you fix this about him?” “Can you get her to do this?” They want a problem fixed. They want to be happier. They want the other spouse to treat them better. These are understandable motivations, but they are still inferior motivations. They address the symptoms, but not the disease: We don’t pursue the kind of love Jesus tells us to pursue.

The “new commandment” given us by Jesus is that we love as He loved. That’s what it means to be His disciple. It’s a little shocking how few of us have ever honestly or earnestly tried to love like this. Trying to begin by loving everyone like this might be too much; but don’t you think God would be pleased if you decided to start by loving his son or daughter (your husband or wife) this way?

The Top 5 Small Group Leader FAQs

By

Chris Surratt

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June 6, 2018

The Top 5 Small Group Leader FAQs

Every small group leader has questions. Most have lots of questions. It can be intimidating to take on the leadership of a group, but you can be assured that (almost) every small group leader has the same doubts, concerns and questions that you do. The second that we as leaders think we have it all figured out, is when we should stop being leaders. I have discovered that the best leaders always have questions and are not afraid to ask them.

Here are five questions that I hear small group leaders asking the most.

1. How much Bible knowledge do I need to have?

This is a natural question to ask as you begin to lead a biblical community. It’s also the number one question that keeps many people from taking on leadership of a small group. The simple answer is: Just be one step ahead of the members of the group. You obviously want to always grow in your biblical knowledge, but leading a small group should not require a seminary degree. Follow your church’s leader training, and know where the study is taking the group before the meeting. That will help you feel confident as you facilitate the Bible study.

2. How much training do I need before I start?

There is basic group leading knowledge that you will want to know before you start your group, and information that you will obtain as you lead the group. The logistics of starting a group, facilitating a discussion, and your church’s theology and philosophy around groups will need to be studied prior to launching. Almost everything else will be learned on the job. Never be afraid to turn to a pastor or church staff leader for help on difficult situations that might come up during the life of the group.

3. How do I choose a study?

Choosing an effective, gospel-centered Bible study is critical. There are thousands of studies to choose from, so it’s easy to achieve decision paralysis when picking one out. Here are a five guidelines to help make the choice a little easier.

A good study is:

Rooted in scripture. Make sure the study points to the scripture and not the author for answers.
Focused on Christ. Every study must ultimately point to the gospel message of the cross.
Flexible for groups. You should be able to make a study work in the unique culture of your small group.
Empowering for the leader. You should feel confident leading through the discussion.
Crafted with a purpose. Where is the study taking the group? Every study should be designed to help group members live out the principles taught during the study.

4. How do I facilitate a great discussion?

The goal of a small group leader is not to teach a lesson, but to walk the group members through a facilitated discussion of the Bible study. Here are a few rules of thumb when it comes to facilitating a good discussion.

Only talk 30 percent of the time. That will help assure that everyone has an opportunity to enter the conversation.
Know the finish line of the discussion. A good Bible study will end on application. Know where to close the conversation when that time comes.
Always land on what the Bible says. Be careful of personal opinions or group think when it comes to major issues. Always bring the group back to what the scriptures say about the topic.
Be OK with saying “I don’t know.” The group will not expect you to have all of the answers, and it’s healthier for the group and the discussion if some lines of conversation are closed until more information can be gathered between meetings.

5. What if they don’t like me?

Although we want to get along with everyone in the group, it will be impossible to be every group member’s best friend. In fact, trying to be would not be healthy for you or the group members. Look for two to three same gender members that you can personally disciple, and then help other group members connect to each other outside of group time.

This article originally appeared here.

Benefits and Negatives of a Long-Term Pastorate

By

Ron Pracht

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June 6, 2018

Editor’s note: From 1973 until 1978, Ron Pracht served Olivet Baptist Church of Wichita, Kansas, in various roles: as the minister of music, as the minister of students, and sometimes as the minister of both music and students. In 1978, the church recognized him as an associate pastor. And then, from 1989 until 2015, he served as Olivet’s senior pastor.

Finally, in 2015, he helped the church find his replacement, at which point he transitioned yet again into an associate, yet part-time role.

Given such a lengthy tenure in one church—all told, over 45 years—we asked him to reflect on the pros and cons of a long-term pastorate.

* * * * *

Benefits of a Long-Term Pastorate

You get to know your people more intimately because you walk with them over a long period of time.
There is stability in the church family. Even support staff tends to stay longer than in the average church.
Your family has a sense of being rooted and not displaced every three to four years. My daughters had the same friends from kindergarten through high school graduation.
Trust grows stronger every year you stay.
Developing reproducing disciples becomes easier. You tend to make wiser choices about the men with whom you invest your life because you have watched them over a longer period of time.
You get to watch generations be born, grow, marry and invest in the kingdom. I am now seeing the grandchildren of members who grew up in my student ministry.
You learn to stand and fight rather than give up and run when opposition comes against you. Some battles are worth having.
You learn to be open and confessional, personally and in your preaching, because you have failed, sought forgiveness and displayed to the people you pastor what it means to intentionally follow Jesus.
You learn the importance of relationships and keeping them right before God. You have fought through difficulties and walked with people in success and failure—both yours and theirs.
You earn the right to lead significant change because of the relational investments you have made.
There is a depth of relationship with people with whom you have shared joys and sorrows, disappointments and successes.
You truly learn to love people as you walk with them in good and bad times. You know what is “out of character” for them when they react poorly in times of stress.
You stand in a long tradition of men who have invested their lives in one place rather than those who have chosen the “free agent” path. I love athletes who stayed in one place for their career (when it was their choice), and didn’t jump around just to find a few more dollars.
You can make a difference on the local and state levels of your denomination because you have invested in one place and are known by other pastors as a faithful man.
You are forced to grow in preaching and leadership instead of repeating old sermons and processes in a new setting.
You get to see the fruit of your ministry as church members begin their service to the body of Christ, locally and internationally. Men in whom I have invested my life are now serving overseas and pastoring local churches throughout the U.S.

Disadvantages of a Long-Term Pastorate

A pastor can become comfortable in his role, and passion can diminish because he knows how to do things.
The pastor’s family does not learn to be stretched by moving to a new city, congregation or school.
When you are not looking, a sense of personal ownership of the church can creep in, and where you serve can become “my church” rather than the church God has blessed me to pastor.
The pastor is not stretched by having to learn to deal with new situations and problems.
People who fail do not get a “do-over” like those whose pastor changes every three to four years.
You don’t get a “do-over” because you chose to stay instead of run from a problem.
Your resume is much shorter! (Wait, that can be an advantage as well!)
When a long-time friend or supporter decides to leave the church, the pain is deeper for a long-tenured pastor than it is for the man who moves frequently.

This article originally appeared here.

7 Signs Your Church Is (Finally) Reaching Unchurched People

By

Carey Nieuwhof

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June 6, 2018

So as a church leader you have a desire to reach unreached people with the good news of Jesus.

Reaching the Unreached

But how do you know your church is really finally (truly) reaching the unreached?

First, you can (and should) use data to find out whether you are attracting transfer growth or truly unchurched people. Your welcome card can capture that data. For example, over half the people who come to our church for the first time check the boxes on our welcome card that indicate that they don’t attend church or come once or twice a year. We consider that to be ‘unchurched.’

But it’s not just the fact that people coming tell you they don’t attend church. You can also tell you’re making inroads because of how unchurched people change the dynamic in your church.

Your church will simply not be the same anymore. And that’s where it gets hard for many congregations and leaders.

Preparing to reach unchurched people is one thing (here are nine signs your church is ready to reach unchurched people). But when unchurched people actually start connecting with your church, things change deeply.

When you see these seven signs pop up in your church, you will know that you are finally (really) reaching the unreached.

1. People Aren’t Singing Much During the Service

If you think about it, this shouldn’t surprise you.

Christians are about the only people left in our culture who sing corporately on a weekly basis. Unchurched people may like your music, but they won’t necessarily sing it. Be OK with that. We’ve learned to be.

While we’re trying to raise the passion level in our church services, it’s simply always going to be a tension between those who love to sing (committed Christians), those who are learning to sing and those who simply endure that part of the service (no matter how awesome the worship team is).

Churched people visit our church all the time and remark on how not everyone is singing. As much as we’re trying to engage people in worship, I’ve just decided it’s just a tension we need to live in.

Think about it: The goal is not to get unchurched people to sing…it’s to lead them into a growing relationship with Jesus.

To manage the tension, we limit the music to three or four songs songs. Christians get to sing. Unchurched people appreciate the band. And people’s lives get changed.

30 Bible Verses About Faith You Need to Read

By

Bob Ditmer

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June 6, 2018

There are many Bible verses about faith. But what is faith? “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” writes the author of Hebrews. A few verses later faith is similarly defined as knowing that God exists and that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

There is more to faith just simply an acknowledgment that Jesus died for our sins. Having faith in Jesus also means we believe his promises. It is an understanding that regardless of our circumstances, God is working for our best interests.

Faith in Jesus means you believe he actually exists. And second, you are convinced he is trustworthy; you can believe what he says and trust in his character.

Here are 30 Bible verses about faith

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

“Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 2 Chronicles 20:20

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” Psalm 13:5

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” Psalm 20:7

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.” Galatians 5:5

“For we live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Ephesians 6:16

“‘Have faith in God,”’ Jesus answered.” Mark 11:22

“He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:34

“Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” Matthew 9:29

“Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.” Matthew 15:28

“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,” Romans 4:20

“Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and it will be done.’” Matthew 21:21

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.” Act 3:16

“‘Go,” said Jesus, ‘your faith has healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” Mark 10:52

“Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’” Luke 7:50

“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Romans 1:17

“Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’” Luke 17:19

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.” Romans 1:8

“I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” Romans 1:11-12

What the Southern Baptist Convention Needs Right Now

By

Sam Rainer

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June 6, 2018

Southern Baptist Convention — Screengrab Youtube @Bellevue Baptist Church

For far too long, we’ve been wrong. We were wrong about slavery. We were wrong about Civil Rights. Now many of us are wrong about the #MeToo movement. The Southern Baptist Convention has been wrong about horrifying sins. Obvious sins. Massive sins affecting generations. Right now, we’re a dumpster fire, and we keep fueling it with shovels of manure. We’re full of it, and the world is watching. That’s not hyperbole.

We need repentance, not excuses. God’s wrath is upon us. Our God is a consuming fire. Excuses will work like tiny strands of straw standing against a raging wildfire. There should be no sermon at this year’s annual convention. Leave the pulpit vacant. Let the room be silent and call the messengers to prostrate themselves in repentance.

We need humility, not charisma. Our convention has wrongly elevated charisma over humility. The bold leaders with pithy lines tend to get the most attention. It’s time we submit to humility instead of charisma.

There are thousands of no-name pastors out there faithfully serving the bride of Christ. They get no attention—no book deals, no blog views, no Twitter followers, no positions of power. We need more pedestrian pastors like my wife’s grandfather. He toiled in obscurity among the rolling fields of Kentucky farms, shepherding in poverty without any glory or recognition. He preached the gospel until he died, then was forgotten. Give us more like him.

We need to care about character as much as we do about doctrine. We fought battles over doctrine, and the spoils of war went to power barons who lacked integrity. The conservative resurgence has not even brought about an increase in baptisms, much less revival. Instead, we are now flooded with the moral failures of former foot soldiers.

God is purging us. We need a new era—one defined by character as much as doctrine. Before you label me with assumptions, let me say I’m neither a liberal nor part of any Calvinist conspiracy. I led our church to rework our doctrinal statement to include the word inerrancy and make it a requirement for membership. And I’m a happy three-pointer who can make friends with just about anyone along the sliding scale of Reformed theology.

For the last 40 years, we’ve worshiped doctrinal heroes and did not ask enough questions about their character. We assumed they were right in the heart since they were right in the head. Some of them were neither. Now we’re reaping what we’ve sown. It’s time to care as much about character as we do doctrine.

We need new earthly heroes. We have our heavenly Hero. Jesus is turning our tables of power right now. He’s driving out some of us with a whip of cords. The supreme place is for Jesus, and He will take it one way or the other. But we also need some new earthly heroes. How about the courageous women who have come forward to share their stories of abuse? How about the people of color who have stuck with us despite our gross legacy of slavery and racism? They are the true heroes of the SBC.

The prophet Hosea called for repentance. In order to return to God, the people had to be torn to heal.

We should be appalled. Horrified. Sick. No more “break her down.” We need God to break us down.

Come, let us return to the Lord.
For he has torn us,
and he will heal us;
he has wounded us,
and he will bind up our wounds.

The good Lord may just rip us apart to heal us.

North Korean Prisoner Says His Crime Was Prayer

By

Bob Ditmer

-

June 6, 2018

North Korean prisoner — (L-R): U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Kim Hak-song, an American citizen released from detention in North Korea, at Joint Base Andrews, in Suitland, MD., on Thursday, May 10, 2018. (Photo by Cheriss May/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

One of the recently released American prisoners in North Korea says his crime was prayer.

Kim Hak Song told of his year-long ordeal in a North Korean prison at his at his home church, the Oriental Mission Church in East Hollywood, California. He told fellow worshipers that his time was not wasted.

Kim Hak Song was arrested in May, 2017 while traveling from North Korea to China by train. Before he crossed the border he was approached by the North Korean security service who accused him of hostile acts toward North Korea.

“I was thinking, I don’t know what I did wrong.” When he asked his captors what hostile acts he reportedly committed against North Korea, he was told his crime was prayer.

Prayer, he thought, was normal. The North Korean government, he said, did not.

Kim Hak Song went to North Korea as a Christian missionary who intended to start an experimental farm at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, a school founded by evangelical Christians and attended by elite North Koreans.

Kim Hak Song came to the United States in the mid-1990s, got his citizenship and attended seminary. It was while studying, he said, that he had developed an interest in North Koreans’ plight. He was born to North Korean parents living in China.

After his ordination in 2004, Kim Hak Song returned to China to study agriculture. He had gone to China with the blessing and financial support of the Oriental Mission congregation. But he had ventured into North Korea, he said, without discussing it with the church members back home.

Rev. Peter Joo, a pastor at Oriental Mission Church, an Independent Holiness Church, said when they found out Song had moved to North Korea, “We prayed for safety because we know what is happening in North Korea.”

Their fears were realized when Kim Hak Song was arrested. In addition to the crime of prayer, his captors showed him an email he had sent to the elders of the Oriental Mission Church asking them to pray for the people of North Korea. They also had records showing he had led early morning prayer for a worship group.

Kim Hak Song did not waste his time behind bars and God used him there. While detained, an official asked him to write about Christianity. He said he started with Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

“I was grateful and thankful that at this time I was able to share God’s message to this person,” he said.

He also said he spent a lot of time during his detention in prayer—confessing his sins, big and small, being thankful and asking God to watch over his family.

The day he was released he gathered his few belongings and his Bible and boarded a plane for the United States, thankful to God for his deliverance.

When he and his fellow captives boarded Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s plane they handed him this note:

“God’s miracles still happen,” Kim Hak Song said during his sermon. “And prayer is still very important.”

African Pastor Killed by Crocodile During Baptism

By

Bob Ditmer

-

June 6, 2018

A crocodile attack at a mass baptism in Africa has taken the life of the presiding pastor.

The Rev. Docho Eshete was conducting the service for about 80 people on Sunday morning at Lake Abaya in southern Ethiopia, the BBC reported. Eshete died after being bitten on his legs, back and hands.

“He baptized the first person and he passed on to another one. All of a sudden, a crocodile jumped out of the lake and grabbed the pastor,” local resident Ketema Kairo told the network.

Members of the congregation, as well as fishermen on the lake, attempted to rescue the clergyman—to no avail. Crocodiles clamp their jaws firmly down on their prey immediately after catching it and then perform a “death roll” that disorients victims and breaks their bones.

Nevertheless, policeman Eiwnetu Kanko said the rescuers used fishing nets to prevent the crocodile from taking Eshete further into the lake.

“They only managed to get his dead body,” added Kanko. “They were unable to save him.”

According to England’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, Protestant baptism services in Africa are frequently conducted by rivers or lakes, with the participants being fully or partially immersed in the water. The ceremony was always likely to be risky one. Abaya, Ethiopia’s second largest lake, is known for having a large crocodile population. The crocodiles are also aggressive because of a dearth of fish in the lake.

According to the newspaper, crocodile attacks are common in Africa, with many of the victims being women washing clothes. In addition, according to the Telegraph, Lake Abaya crocodiles have a reputation of aggression toward humans.

The lake’s reddish brown waters make it hard to spot a crocodile until it surfaces, making escape less likely.

The incident came a month after a crocodile in Zimbabwe ripped off the arm of local resident Zanele Ndlovu, 25, five days before she was due to marry her British fiancé, Jamie Fox, 27. The couple went ahead with the wedding as scheduled.

Scot McKnight: Invoking the Holy Spirit

By

Jason Daye

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June 5, 2018

Scot McKnight is an American New Testament scholar, historian of early Christianity, theologian, and author who has written widely on the historical Jesus, early Christianity and Christian living. Born in Southern Illinois, he came of age in Freeport, Illinois, attended college in Grand Rapids, MI, seminary at Trinity in Deerfield, IL, and did a PhD at the University of Nottingham in England. He is now a professor at Northern Seminary.

Key Questions for Scot McKnight

– Why is there an underlying fear of the Holy Spirit in some churches?
– Why do we tend to overemphasize the Bible at the expense of the Holy Spirit?

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Key Quotes from Scot McKnight:

“Lots of people just don’t know what the New Testament says about the Holy Spirit and feel they can just glide over it in the Bible.”

“Some of the people who talk about the Holy Spirit the most are the least influenced by the Spirit.”

“Opening up to the Holy Spirit is a way of surrendering our lives.”

“When the spirit comes and seizes control things might happen that are unplanned and the things that do happen that are unplanned might just be the things that God wants done in our community.”

“God is a God of order but he disorders the structures of the world that we live in.”

“Deemphasizing the Holy Spirit is only a problem for white Christians.”

“We’ve put a dome over our world and no longer is the spirit welcome.”

“There are 650 million pentecostals in the world. Those people are all open to the Spirit.”

“We have to return to the scriptures of the Bible that talk about the Holy Spirit but we also need to have people who have experienced the spirit and can talk about spiritual guidance and experience.”

“We need to do a fresh evaluation of how lives match up to the early christians who were clearly experiencing the spirit.”

Links Mentioned by Scot McKnight in the Show:

Open to the Holy Spirit

God’s Empowering Presence

Scot McKnight on ChurchLeaders:

Scot McKnight: Reconciling Science and Scripture

Scot McKnight Joins Northern Seminary as Professor

3 Prayer Priorities for America, June 2018

By

Ronnie Floyd

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June 5, 2018

Dear Prayer Warriors and Intercessors for America,

In June 2018, all across America and beyond, we are calling prayer warriors and prayer intercessors for America to join together in agreement in prayer. Please mobilize your pastor, your church, your denomination and your personal network of friends across America and the world to join us.

PARTICIPATE with thousands of Americans to use and follow this new resource called 31 Days of Prayer for My Nation from July 1-31. Please order this resource NOW by going here. Join Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and me as we lead this month of prayer specifically for our nation.

Just imagine what could happen if millions of Americans would intercede through agreement in prayer for America during these months. We need you to join us and mobilize your pastor, church, denomination and personal network of friends to join us. Spread the word now.

1. FATHER, BY FAITH WE ASK YOU TO MOVE UPON THE POLITICAL LEADERS IN AMERICA TO LEAD OUR NATION FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY.

“A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever He chooses.” Proverbs 21:1

Lord, as You have the power to control a king’s heart and direct it wherever You choose, please direct our President, Donald J. Trump, our Vice President, Mike Pence, our President’s Cabinet, our appointed and elected leaders in America, as well as those leading our nation’s Armed Forces…moving them in a direction You desire.

Holy Spirit, lead all of these leaders to work together strategically and specifically to secure all of the schools across America; O God, lead them to action that will protect the children of America.

Father, please lead our nation’s leaders as they move toward an unprecedented meeting with the leaders in North Korea and South Korea, trying to find a way to provide an avenue of peace and security for the world. O God, restrain evil and abuse of human life in North Korea, and move their leader, Kim Jong-un, to actions of peace and security in the world. Furthermore, we ask You, please ensure this meeting occurs with him and our nation’s leaders in Your timing.

O Lord, our needs are great, and we appeal to You for resolve, cooperation and leadership regarding the challenging issues of:

* America’s climbing debt
* Immigration
* Religious freedom nationally and internationally
* Healthcare
* Opioid and drug crisis
* Security of our nation internally and externally
* Ongoing challenges in Israel and in the Middle East, as the United States Embassy in Israel has now been moved to Jerusalem
* Judicial and political appointments process to be expedited
* Tax reform
* Sexual harassment and abuse
* Sanctity and dignity of all human life from conception through death
* Racial unrest across America
* Needs of our veterans, our nation’s military and their families
* Ongoing investigations to reveal truth and a resolve be reached soon in each of them
* Election of leaders in the fall of 2018

This list could go on, but Lord, these specifically this month we place into Your hands. Please channel the hearts of our leaders to what is best for the American people as well as others across the world.

2. TOGETHER IN AGREEMENT, ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO FALL UPON THE CHURCHES OF AMERICA IN A POWERFUL AND MIRACULOUS WAY.

“Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives, and the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7–

* Holy Spirit, fall upon the 400,000+ churches and 200 denominations in America in an unprecedented movement of God that would wake up and spiritually revive the churches across America.

* Anoint supernaturally the pastors and spiritual leaders who open God’s Word to preach it and call people to faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone for salvation, as well as advance the gospel of Jesus across their region, America and the world.

* Spirit of the Living God, we call upon You to bring to America the next Great Spiritual Awakening, that would be so powerful, it would shape generations in the future; an awakening of historic proportion.

Spirit of the Lord, call Christians in America to join Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and me as we call for 31 Days of Prayer for My Nation during the month of July. (Order resources at https://www.prayershop.org)

3. LORD, LEAD DR. RONNIE FLOYD AND THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER TASK FORCE FORWARD IN A STRATEGIC WAY TO GREATLY IMPACT AMERICA IN THE FUTURE.

“Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” Ephesians 3:20

*Sovereign God, thank you for the powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon America on Thursday, May 3, 2018, the National Day of Prayer. Please raise up people all across America to pray for unity in our nation.

* Lead Dr. Floyd and the National Day of Prayer Task Force as they strategize for the future relating to:

* Hearing God’s heart and theme for the 2019 National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 2,
ensuring that every town, city and county has a National Day of Prayer Observance on May 2, 2019.

* Preparing for the 2018 National Day of Prayer Leadership Summit for all volunteers, churches and interested parties, to be held on October 29–30, 2018, in Northwest Arkansas, hosted by Cross Church, Rogers, Arkansas. Come from around the nation as we strategize for prayer across America.

* Provide for the great financial needs of the National Day of Prayer in order to mobilize unified public prayer for America.

This article originally appeared here.

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Key Quotes from Scot McKnight:

Links Mentioned by Scot McKnight in the Show:

Scot McKnight on ChurchLeaders:

1. FATHER, BY FAITH WE ASK YOU TO MOVE UPON THE POLITICAL LEADERS IN AMERICA TO LEAD OUR NATION FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY.

2. TOGETHER IN AGREEMENT, ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO FALL UPON THE CHURCHES OF AMERICA IN A POWERFUL AND MIRACULOUS WAY.

3. LORD, LEAD DR. RONNIE FLOYD AND THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER TASK FORCE FORWARD IN A STRATEGIC WAY TO GREATLY IMPACT AMERICA IN THE FUTURE.

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